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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · dip · mark · vault · club · coach · land · pitcher

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — a group
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — ground
  22. club — for golf
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com